Hours after U.S. Rep. Rahm Emanuel accepted President-elect Barack Obama's offer to become his chief of staff, newly elected Illinois State Rep. Deb Mell has said that she will run for Emanuel's seat, according to a TheHill.com entry last week.
Mell, the Illinois General Assembly's first open lesbian, is the daughter of Chicago Alderman Dick Mell and is the sister-in-law of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. She that she believes that Blagojevich would support her.
However, on Monday, Nov. 10, Mell told Windy City Times that 'I'm still considering it. There are a lot of personal and professional things you have to consider, and we are kind of exploring it right now.'
Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley hinted that he may also run, stating that ' [ i ] t's not who decides first to run; it's who decides that's best qualified and is most viable.' Other names being mentioned are State Rep. Sara Feigenholtz and Alderman Tom Allen.
Unlike Obama's Senate seat—to which Gov. Rod Blagojevich must appoint a replacement—a special election must be held within 115 days after the vacancy has been made official for Emanuel's seat.
